


What Really Matters

by Hella_Queer



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: M/M, Violence, but not graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-27 07:23:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5039119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hella_Queer/pseuds/Hella_Queer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Vav gets into serious trouble, X-Ray realizes what's really important to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Really Matters

*

*

*

"Another boring night without any action, huh Dwayne?" X-Ray said to his new sidekick. It was nearly midnight, and there wasn't a crime or bad guy to stop. Maybe evil really did rest sometimes.

He sat down on a bus bench and reached into his utility pants, pulling out a bag of fruit snacks.

"Who cares right?" He asked, munching angrily. "If they don't want my help then they can just–"

"X-RAY!"

X-Ray jumped up, only to be knocked hard to the ground by a flying projectile. Which turned out to be a kid.

He groaned loudly in annoyance. "Get off me, you weirdo!" He said to Dragonface. He got to his feet, then looked down at where he fell. "God dammit! My snacks are all over the street now!"

Dragonface jumped to his feet, looking wide eyed and panicked. He latched onto the hero's arm."You have to help, X-Ray!"

X-Ray shoved him off, carefully picking up Dwayne. "Oh, no. Not happening. I'm done being kicked out of burning buildings for the night."

He started walking away, glancing forlornly at his now ruined fruit snacks. He'd have to ask his mom to buy more.

"You don't understand!" Dragonface shouted after him. X-Ray had every intention of ignoring him. He was just gonna keep walking, maybe grab a sandwich on the way home. But the next words he heard stopped him in his tracks.

"Vav's been kidnapped by the Mad King."

~*~

The last place X-Ray wanted to be at this time of night was Rusty's van. After racing back to the hideout with Dwayne (and Dragonface), the kid had talked all in one breath as soon as they got in the door.

"Me and Vav were trying to help the citizens cause he appointed me his new sidekick but no one wanted our help, then Vav found five bucks in the street and I thought he was gonna return it to its proper owner like a good hero would but instead he gave it to me and told me to buy Gooey Chewy Fruity fruit snacks which my mom says do not have real fruit flavors in them—"

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"So I went into the corner store to buy some but just as I was about to pay I heard Vav scream but I didn't see him outside so I ran out of the store and I followed his voice into an alley and I saw the Mad King! And he had Vav cornered and said some stuff but I couldn't hear him. But then he took off his crown and BAM! smacked Vav over the head with it. I hid behind a tree and saw Mad King put him in the back of a car before he drove off!"

So after an hour of that Rusty relocated them to his van, much to Hilda's displeasure. According to Rusty it was the only safe place until they could save Vav.

While Hilda and Rusty planned—and Dragonface played with Orf—X-Ray sat on the ground with Dwayne, trying to come to terms with what had happened.

 _Vav_ _kind of deserves_ _it_ , he thought bitterly. _Maybe now Ash can return the favor and they can just spend the rest of their lives saving each other._

He reached into his utility pants for his DS, but came up with a colorful plastic wrapper instead. X-Ray stared down at the bright green Gooey Chewy Fruity fruit snacks wrapper; his favorite treat. As a kid he couldn't always afford to buy them. But then one day this tiny British kid hopped on the bench seat next to him and offered to share like it was the easiest thing in the world.

X-Ray looked at Dwayne. "So what," he muttered quietly. "That jerk still saved some dumb reporter over me, his best friend."

Dwayne regarded him quietly.

"We became superheroes together. And then he leaves me hangin! All because some reporter looked at him. He saved her instead of me. His partner in crime. His... Fellow superhero."

X-Ray felt a twisting sensation in his stomach as he looked at Dwayne.

"A fellow superhero who swore to protect the town and its citizens. Who don't have powers like us. People like Ash.."

Ah jeez.

Maybe instead of being angry with Vav, he should've remembered that his duty (hehe) came first. He had god damn laser eyes for crying out loud! And it wasn't Ash's fault that Vav was all gaga over here. And maybe.. Maybe he was a little jealous of her. Maybe.

The point was that he didn't have time to wait around for stupid plans. Who knows what the Mad King has put Vav through in the last few hours. He had to get to Monarch Labs now!

As quietly as he could, X-Ray inched over to the makeshift workbench Hilda had set up. He peaked up over the edge, saw that Rusty and Hilda were distracted, and quickly grabbed the modified freeze ray.

"Me and Dwayne are gonna go take a leak," X-Ray said, covertly stashing the freeze ray.

"If a guy named Kevin offers you drugs, take them," Rusty said absently, staring at a blueprint. "It's good stuff."

X-Ray calmly got out of the van, closed the door softly, then bolted around the corner.

"Are you gonna go save Vav?" He heard a small voice behind him say. He turned and saw Dragonface gazing up at him with wide eyes.

X-Ray sighed, knowing where this was going. He looked at Dragonface, then at Dwayne who sat faithfully in his palm. He knew what he had to do. He knelt down in front of Dragonface and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're right, I am gonna try and save Vav. It's really dangerous this time, but I can't wait for Hilda and Rusty to come up with a plan."

"Let me come with you!" Dragonface pleaded. "I'll be the best sidekick ever."

X-Ray scoffed but then shook his head. "Look, I might not come back from this. If I don't," he placed Dwayne in his hands. "I need you to look after him."

"A rock?"

"He's not just a rock! He's the best damn companion you'll ever have." X-Ray took a deep breath. "Before I met Vav, Dwayne here was my best pal. And I need someone loyal and awesome to take care of him. Think you can do that?"

Dragonface nodded, wiping tears from his face.

"Good," X-Ray said, standing. "Now. You got any money for the bus?"

~*~

Word to the wise: Scaling a building at night is fucking terrifying. Don't ever do it.

Once X-Ray was in the air-vent he spent a few minutes gasping and thanking God or whoever controlled gravity that he was still alive. After regaining his wits he started the slow crawl to the security room.

Things were really quiet without Rusty speaking in his ear, or Hilda insulting him, or Vav whispering too loudly because he was an idiot who couldn't whisper right. Hell he even missed Dragonface. He hoped Dwayne was doing ok. Shit did he forget to feed him this morning?

X-Ray was pulled out of his musings by the sound of voices and footsteps. He paused next to a grate and could barely make out a yellow hard hat, a white puffy cloud, and a golden crown.

 _Mad King, Chef and a Construction Worker?_ X-Ray thought as he paused. _Damn. This kingdom full of rotten eggs sure has a faulty foundation._

When no one laughed he sighed quietly. Vav would have loved that. He shook the thought from his mind and tried to focus.

"And how is our newest guest settling in?" X-Ray felt a shiver run down his spine. He would recognize the Mad King's voice anywhere.

"We moved him to the boiler room as you requested." Hmm. That sounded like a fat chef.

"And his roommate?" Mad King again.

"X-Bot is giving him a very warm welcome," the voice laughed. Totally a construction worker.

"Excellent," said Mad King. "Come dawn we'll be rid of one half of that insufferable duo. And with Mogar still clueless to my plot, I'll have the perfect little solider to carry out my plans."

"Come again?"

"Ahem. Our plans."

Blah blah blah. Wait for the evil laughter to fade down the hall...

Now with a destination to help him along, X-Ray got his ass in gear. He just prayed he wasn't too late.

~*~

"Let's try that again, shall we?"

Vav barely had a chance to get upright before the bars were spinning again. The first rotation was easy, just jump or duck as he climbed the platform. Just as he felt confident in his footing, things sped up.

The Boiler Room was like a giant blender inside a metal box. The big cylinder he was trying to climb was inside a larger glass cylinder. Most likely so that the Mad King could watch his captives suffer. Like a twisted game of Wipeout.

The glass was in the middle of a larger room made entirely of metal. It felt like the heat was cranked up to a million, because Vav felt sweat pouring from his toes.

As the mental bars spun faster, the figure sitting at the very top of the platform laughed.

"Oh, come on, Hero. Only fifteen seconds left. Think you'll save me this time?"

Vav had to remind himself that the cyborg that looked and sounded just like his best friend wasn't X-Ray at all. But as he jumped and grabbed on to the final rise, a tear stained face suddenly appeared inches from his own.

"Why, Vav?" Fake X-Ray whispered. "Why did you let me die?"

Vav shook his head, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew it wasn't his X-Ray. But those sad eyes..

A heavy boot crushed his fingers, making him cry out as he slipped from the high rise. Vav plummeted to the ground below, slamming into metal bars on the way down. He landed on his side with a pained groan, pressing a hand to his bruised abdomen.

X-Bot jumped and landed beside him, an evil smirk on its face. "I bet if your little reporter were up there you'd make it in one shot."

Vav tried to push off of the ground, but his arms were too weak. Instead he glared from the floor, but didn't speak.

X-Bot walked in a slow circle around him, quiet and menacing like a shark. Nothing at all like the real X-Ray.

"You do realize it's only a matter of time before he comes crawling to the Mad King," X-Bot mused. "Alone. Tossed aside. He'd give anything just to feel important. What an imbecile."

"Shut up."

X-Bot, who was now standing in Vav's line of sight, raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said shut up." Vav struggled to sit up, panting from the exertion it took to even do that. "Shut your damn mouth. Don't talk about him. He's more powerful than you'll ever know."

X-Bot regarded him silently, then chuckled. "You're right. I shouldn't speak ill of the dead."

Dread filled Vav's stomach like a dam bursting. He closed his eyes, fighting back nausea as he got to his knees.

"Shut u—"

X-Bot delivered a swift and powerful kick to Vav's side, winding him and knocking him off balance. He didn't stop there. As Vav tried to crawl away he crushed his ankle with the heel of his foot.

Vav screamed, pain radiating up his leg and rendering him immobile. He tried to curl in on himself, but X-Bot gripped his collar and tossed him across the glass enclosure. Vav hit the wall with a thud, then crumpled to the ground.

He did not get back up.

"You're weak," X-Bot hissed, stalking towards him. "Without that other spandex dork you're even more useless than before."

His voice had started to change, getting deeper. X-Bot sounded just like the Mad King now.

"All those years of thinking you were in charge, when in reality you weren't even a sidekick's sidekick."

X-Mad Bot stopped a few feet away from Vav, grabbing one of the still-spinning poles and yanking it out of the blender type contraption.

"And that slow mo power of yours. Ha! Merely a pathetic shield. It serves no purpose but to prolong someone's inevitable demise. X-Ray has the offensive powers. It seems you've proven me wrong. He wasn't holding you back. _You_ were holding _him_ back. He's better off with that stupid rock, Derek."

X-Mad Bot raised the bar high over his shoulder, aiming directly for Vav's skull "Any last words, Hero?"

"His name is Dwayne."

It occurred to the cyborg in his final moments, that the evil monologue taunt session was highly overrated and incredibly detrimental.

~*~

Finding the Boiler Room was a major pain in the ass.

Watching that lookalike robot torture his best friend was agony.

Trying to cut through that glass with his laser eyes, finding no results, then deciding to freeze it took longer than it should have.

But blasting apart that hunk of imitation metal? Incredibly satisfying.

~*~

X-Ray stepped over the no longer functioning robot and kneeled next to the red and blue body on the ground.

"Vav?" He whispered, gently touching his shoulder.

No response.

"Vav," he said louder, shaking him a little harder. "Dude, come on."

No response.

X-Ray carefully turned him over on his back. "G-Gavin?"

No response.

Hands shaking, X-Ray clumsily tried to check for a pulse. After a few painful seconds he felt it. Weak but still there. It was good enough.

~*~

Fear of an unimaginable kind gripped X-Ray as he raced down the halls, Vav a solid—don't think dead—weight in his arms. The alarms had started blaring as soon as he blasted off the doors of the Boiler Room.

He felt like Joel from The Last of Us, carrying Ellie out of that hospital. But he wasn't some strong, skilled guy who had lived through hell. He was just a scrawny loser in tights. But to him, Vav was just as important as that little girl.

"STOP HIM!"

The Mad King's voice echoed down the hall, renewing X-Ray's strength and speed. He didn't care what happened before, and he didn't care what happened to himself. He had to get Vav to safety.

X-Ray turned the corner and came to a screeching halt. Evil Chef stood before him, a meat cleaver in each hand.

"You make big mistake by coming here," he said. "I never serve people to people. But I will serve people to animals."

X-Ray aimed several quick laser blasts at him but they were deflected each time.

_Arrg! I don't have time for this!_

It felt like time slowed down (but only in his head, because Vav was still out cold). As the Chef flew at him with the knives, X-Ray ran to meet him head first. At the last second, he turned sideways and knocked into the Chef with his shoulder. He felt a blade slice through his suit and cut across his lower back.

X-Ray hissed in pain, stumbling, before tightening his hold on Vav as he continued to race towards the front doors. As he turned another corner, Construction Dude came into view. He barely spared the villain an eye roll; blasting the lights above them and sliding across the floor as sparks rained down.

"Holy shit! Did you see that Vav?"

X-Ray looked down at his friends face, his smile vanishing when he saw how pale and unresponsive it was. He didn't look good...

Almost there, he thought, turning the last corner. The frosted glass doors were in his line of sight, a shining beacon at the end of the hall.

_Yes!_

A shining beacon that was now blocked by a tall figuring wearing a kilt and a crown.

_No no no no!_

X-Ray slowed, seeing no point in getting closer to the Mad King. His shoulders slumped; only then did he begin to truly feel the pain in his back. Vav slid out of his arms, and he had to crouch in order to grab him before he hit the ground.

Mad King held up a tiny remote and pressed a large red button. Almost instantly, steel shutters slid down over the entrance, further preventing their escape. As if it mattered now.

"I'm impressed X-Ray," Mad King said with a smile. "You made it very far on your own."

X-Ray glared up at him, Vav's body cradled awkwardly in his arms thanks to his crouching position.

"This doesn't have to be the end, you know. Not for you." Mad King took a step forward. "Just give me Vav, and you can keep your life. Better yet, I'll let you work for me." He smiled, as if he truly believed that offer was too good to pass up. "You'll have to start at the bottom, of course, but hard work can do wonders for your social climbing."

"Go to hell!" X-Ray spat at him. "I would never betray Vav like that."

"And why ever not?" Mad King inquired. "After all, he didn't seem to care about betraying you. All that mattered was his precious little reporter."

X-Ray shook his head. He was not letting this bastard screw him up again.

"He was gonna save us both, asshole. Your stupid bear lackey made him think using his powers was cheating."

"Yet when the time came to be a true hero, he tossed you aside. Just like dear old—"

X-Ray didn't even think about the consequences as he grabbed the freeze ray from his utility pants and leaped towards the Mad King. He kicked and shot but like a ninja Mad King evaded each time.

Eventually, X-Ray slipped up; one wrong footstep and he was knocked to the ground, the freeze ray skidding across the tiled floor to land at the Mad King's feet.

"I'd call you a worthy adversary, but I don't want the last thing you hear to be a lie."

Mad King aimed the gun at his head and fired.

X-Ray braced himself for impact.

Nothing happened.

When he wasn't frozen into a block of ice, X-Ray opened his eyes. There was the ice beam very slowly moving toward him. A pained groan from behind had him turning his head. Vav was looking through half opened eyes at them, a hand held up to stop the beam from reaching X-Ray.

Mad King growled in frustration. "That's it! I've had it with you two!" He aimed the gun at Vav, but sheer dumb luck had X-Ray kicking out a foot and sending Mad King to the ground.

X-Ray loomed over him, his eyes beginning to glow.

"I'd say it was nice knowing you," he taunted, "but I don't want the last thing you hear to be a lie."

Mad King scowled, then grinned an evil grin. "You think you've beaten me. How cute."

And then the world exploded.

~*~

X-Ray was awoken by heat. An incredible, intolerable amount of heat. It pressed down on his chest and made it almost impossible to think, let alone breathe. The air tasted of smoke and ash.

Fire. Everything was on fire.

It all came rushing back then. The Mad King, the steel doors blocking the exit, Vav slowing down the freeze ray beam, the bomb.

Vav!

X-Ray clambered to his feet but the smoke was already too much. He got down on his hands and knees and squinted through the haze. He had to find Vav and get him out.

He held his breath as he crawled along the floor, hands searching out for his fallen partner. He almost sobbed when he grabbed an ankle.

Vav shouldn't have been so easy to move, but he was as limp as a rag doll as X-Ray pulled him into a loose hold in his lap. They had to find a way out, but the front doors were sealed and the fire was thickest there. X-Ray couldn't stand, but he couldn't drag Vav across the floor like a mop, either.

He settled on slinging the—unhealthily light—Brit across his back in a crude imitation of a piggyback ride. He was forced to move slowly lest Vav slide off. X-Ray managed another few hallways before he just couldn't go anymore. His lungs were full of smoke and his arms were weak and his knees screamed for relief.

X-Ray sagged against the wall, Vav laying curled up in his lap. He hadn't moved this entire time, and X-Ray was afraid to check for a pulse. What if he had been schlepping a corpse around this whole time?

When Vav started hacking and wheezing X-Ray was both ecstatic and disheartened. They couldn't survive in this place much longer. They wouldn't survive.

They wouldn't survive.

"I'm so sorry, Vav," X-Ray said in between coughs. "This is all my fault."

"Ray," Vav wheezed, grabbing at his hand. He was so weak it was like a toddler with no motor skills gripping a pencil.

"I should have just let it go. I should've been smarter and saved my own damn self. Now because I was a jealous asshole we're gonna burn to a crisp."

"X-Ray," Vav said, a little stronger this time. "My pants."

X-Ray looked down at him. "Uhh I don't think this is the time for a handy-j, man."

Vav ignored him and reached into his utility pants. A moment later he produced the freeze ray; a little banged up but still working.

"It doesn't look like there's a lot of power left," X-Ray said, taking it from him.

Vav nodded in agreement. "You'll have to–" he was overcome by a coughing fit. X-Ray kept him upright, the heat of the fire reminding him of their limited time. "You'll have to use it in short bursts or it'll stop working."

X-Ray nodded and got a good grip on the freeze ray. "Got it. Let's move."

"No. Leave me here."

Vav looked up at him, his expression tortured despite his glassy eyes. "I left you to die. It's only fair you do the same to me."

He moved away from X-Ray and curled up against the wall, wheezing.

 _This is okay_ , Vav thought. _I've been holding X-Ray back all these years. We both can't make it out._

Vav drifted in and out, the smoke now apart of him. It was easy to forget that he wasn't breathing properly. Soon he wouldn't be breathing at all.

The last thing he felt were a pair of strong arms lifting him off of the ground, and a raspy voice speaking against his temple.

"Not going anywhere without you. Not again."

~*~

It was awful leaving Vav alone like that, but X-Ray couldn't carry him and use the gun at the same time. He worked quickly to clear a path through the fire, using short blasts like Vav told him to. When the floor was manageable he ran back to his fallen partner.

Vav was back to being a rag doll, and the smoke had pressed down even more in his absence. X-Ray didn't hesitate, just sprinted down the hall, cradling Vav to his chest. When he came across the steel door his lasers cut through it like it was half melted butter.

Stepping out into the cold night air was like jumping into a pool of ice water. X-Ray coughed and hacked, the lights from police cars and fire trucks nearly blinding him. But he held on to Vav.

Held onto him even as the cops tried to flag him down as he ran past. Held onto him as a familiar white van came zooming down the street. Held tight as Dragonface threw open the back doors and yelled for him to get inside.

All the while X-Ray held onto Vav, never letting go. He told Rusty to take them to the hospital and refused to say anything else. Hilda asked him endless questions and told him what an idiot he was for going alone. Dragonface babbled on about how brave he was and how he was so proud to call him his hero.

And X-Ray held onto Vav.

~*~

Hospitals were stupid. They were cold and bland and quiet. They made you wait forever to see someone who in the end just leaves you in a room for another eternity before finally coming to ask what's wrong.

Hilda must have called ahead because the medics took Vav from X-Ray's arms as soon as they arrived. He limped after them, but the purple traitor said something about burns and smoke inhalation so they took him, too.

For what felt like hours, X-Ray was poked and manhandled and stuck with sharp things. They gave him an ugly grey dressing gown that did next to nothing to cover his butt. Despite his determination to see Vav, he was just too tired to do more than glare as the doctors finally left him alone.

He lied in bed and stared up at the ceiling, memories of the fire leaving hazy trails across his mind. His fingers twitched; no longer having Vav in his arms felt very, very wrong and he was trying not to freak out.

"X-Ray?"

Dragonface peaked his head into the room, a worried expression on his tiny face. Dwayne was held carefully in his left hand. X-Ray nodded for him to come in.

Dragonface made a beeline for the chair next to the bed, but stopped quickly when he saw the name on the chart at the foot of the bed.

"Ray Narvaez Jr," he said slowly. "Is.. Is that you?"

X-Ray sighed but nodded. "Yeah. That's my real name."

Dragonface looked at him, then back at the chart. He walked slowly to the chair and sat gingerly, placing Dwayne on the bedside table.

"Kerry. Kerry Shawcross."

"What?"

The boy shrugged. "That's my real name. Kerry."

A hint of a smile made its way onto X-Ray's face. "You gotta trust someone a lot to reveal your secret identity."

"I trust you," Drago– Kerry said, his face determined. "But I also know you can do really dumb stuff sometimes. That's why I carry a first aid kit!"

X-Ray laughed, small but genuine. "You know what? Maybe you can be a help to us after all."

The look on Kerry's face was so elated X-Ray almost forgot about his own troubles.

Almost.

~*~

X-Ray drifted in and out that night, falling asleep during a conversation and waking up in a new one. Hilda, Rusty, Dragonface, Dwayne, doctors, even his mom. Still no Vav. No one even mentioned him.

It was very dark when X-Ray awoke from a fitful sleep. He carefully put on his glasses and scanned the room. Rusty was sprawled across two chairs. Orf had transformed into a cot and Hilda snoozed away in the corner. Dragonface was asleep in the chair next to his bed, using his cape as a blanket.

As quietly as he could, X-Ray climbed out of bed and crept towards the door.

"Ray?" A voice whispered in the darkness. X-Ray turned halfway and put a finger to his lips. Dragonface nodded and was soon back in dreamland.

Navigating the halls was even harder to do at night. Especially barefoot wearing a thin, flimsy as hell gown. He headed towards the ICU which is where he heard Hilda tell Rusty that Vav was when they thought he was asleep.

He passed by a few tired eyed doctors but thankfully no one stopped him. When he got to the ICU he was worried that he really didn't want to see Vav yet. The image of his pale face and the feeling of his weak pulse against his fingers made X-Ray a little jelly-legged. But he pushed on anyway.

Vav was in room 102. There was no windows looking into the room, which meant that while he was very hurt, the injuries weren't fatal.

X-Ray entered the room slowly and just took it all in. Vav was hooked up to some machines, an IV sticking out of his pale wrist. There was a constant stream of noise as the machines beeped and clicked. A mask was over Vav's face, feeding him oxygen as he slept.

X-Ray staggered over to the bed then collapsed in the uncomfortable chair placed next to it. He placed his hand on top of Vav's, feather light, afraid he would disappear like mist. When he didn't, he held on a bit tighter.

"I need you to be okay," he whispered hoarsely. "I know we have some shit to work out.. We can't take back the things that we said. But I will forgive all of it, as long as you're okay."

X-Ray wasn't expecting an answer, and wasn't surprised when none presented itself. He gently rested his head on Vav's chest, letting the shallow rise and fall lull him to sleep.

"I need you."

~*~

Two weeks.

That's how long they kept Vav in the hospital. That's how long X-Ray and the others had to wait to see him. The doctors in charge didn't want any distractions to impede any of Vav's recovery. X-Ray almost got arrested trying to sneak in to see him.

The most surprising thing of all was how calm and not incredibly annoying Dragonface was. He played video games with X-Ray when he and Hilda got into a screaming match. He bought a neat little cape for Dwayne (green with blue trim), and went on magazine runs for Rusty.

Still, two weeks was a really long time.

When the day came to finally take Vav home, X-Ray sprinted half a block towards the hospital before Rusty flagged him down with the van.

Since Hilda had filled out the paperwork the doctors would only allow her into the ICU ward. Rather, they _were_ only going to allow her. The look on X-Ray's face, and the slight fear in Hilda's eyes convinced the doctor to take them both.

Vav was asleep in his bed when they got there. The color had returned to his face, and he was no longer connected to a million beeping machines.

"Will you be needing a wheelchair?" The doctor asked in a low voice as Hilda signed some papers.

"He's good," X-Ray answered before Hilda could speak.

"Ray–"

"I said he's good," he insisted fiercely. His voice softened as he looked down at his friend's sleeping form. "I'll carry him."

Hilda heaved a sigh. "If we need one Orf can transform. We've been working on a few modifications for special occasions."

But Orf wasn't needed.

X-Ray held tightly to Vav as they left the hospital and piled into Rusty's van. Hilda scolded him about being rude to the doctor. Rusty complained about how the health care system was a giant scam and used the general public as test subject. Dragonface—who was becoming a more permanent fixture amongst them—talked excitedly about the mission he and Dwayne planned to go on.

The road twisted and turned. The city passed in a blur. The sun began to set.

And X-Ray held onto Vav.

~*~

Vav had gotten used to waking up to blindingly white walls and a mask over his face. He only vaguely remembered being discharged from the hospital, so when a game of Rainbow Six swam in front of his eyes he was a little confused.

"You're awake." Suddenly X-Ray was right there, eyes red rimed with dark bags underneath.

Vav just looked at him. He felt weak and sore and cold, but the sight of X-Ray caused a trickle of warmth to spread throughout his body.

"You saved me," he whispered, voice barely audible.

He was stretched out on the pullout couch, wrapped up in a blanket burrito, but somehow he was still cold. X-Ray, sensing this, though Vav didn't know how, climbed onto the squeaky bed and wrapped his arms around him. Vav turned, and not-so-subtly nuzzled X-Ray's chest.

"Of course I did," he breathed into his hair. "I can't imagine my life without you. I-I can't imagine life without you..."

Vav shook his head, looking up at him. He was so very close now. Closer than they had ever been.

"You're braver than you know, Ray. The bravest guy I know."

X-Ray cradled the back of his head, gently massaging his scalp. Vav tried his hardest to keep his eyes open.

"You make me brave," he said. So incredibly close now. "I'm not an active hero like you."

They were breathing the same air now, inhaling on the exhale. Vav reached up out of his blankets and fisted X-Ray's shirt in his hands. Vav gazed up at him, their eyes locked.

"Courage still counts for something."

The kiss wasn't rushed or rough, but sweet and slow. X-Ray drew him in close, one hand cradling his cheek, the other on his hip. Vav made a sound close to a sob, and held even tighter to X-Ray's shirt when he tried to pull away.

They kissed for minutes or hours or days, it was hard to tell. All that existed was the pullout couch and the glow from the television and the two bodies laying together in a crushing embrace.

And in the end, that's what really mattered.


End file.
